Practicing the "One Anothers"

Did you know that the phrase "one another" is used over 26 times in the New Testament to describe how we are to relate to one another in the Body of Christ? Often times people ask me, "You don't have to go to church to be a Christian do you?" Or they say something like, "I'm a Christian, I just don't see how the church is relevant to me and my life today." Or one other comment, which I'm afraid the church can easily fall into this trap, "Church is so boring, I just don't get anything out of it."

Well, there may be a grain of truth (or maybe a boulder) in each of those statements, but the reality of Church, as the Body of Christ is this: Church life is absolutely essential for us to practice our Christian life as Jesus and the Apostles taught us.

Why do I say that? Well, there are many reasons, but let me just highlight one today. If we are to practice the "One Anothers" of scripture, there is no way of doing that independent of Church Body Life. Let me just list below those one anothers for your perusal and then maybe you can look up the scripture that explains each one.

The "One Anothers" of the New Testament

-Love one another - John 13:34; 1 John 3:11, 24

-Be Devoted to one another - Romans 12:10

-Honor one another - Romans 12:10

-Live in Harmony with one another - Romans 12:16; 1 Peter 3:8

-Do not Judge one another - Romans 14:13

-Accept one another - Romans 15:7

-Instruct one another - Romans 15:14

-Greet one another - Romans 16:16 (and numerous other scrpture)

-Agree with one another - 1 Corinthians 1:10 (that sounds like a hard one, huh?)

-Serve one another - Galatians 5:13 (you can't do that at home alone)

-Be Patient with one another - Ephesians 4:2

-Be Kind to one another - Ephesians 4:32

-Speak to one another in song - Ephesians 5:19

-Submit to one another - Ephesians 5:21 (ouch! That's not popular)

-Bear with one another - Colossians 3:13

-Forgive one another - Colossians 3:13 (not very easy to do, but necessary)

-Teach & Admonish one another - Colossians 3:16 ( we don't like to be admonished)

-Encourage one another - 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13; 10:25

-Spur one another on toward love and good deeds - Hebrews 10:24

-Do not slander one another - James 4:11

-Offer Hospitality to one another - 1 Peter 4:9

-Be Humble toward one another - 1 Peter 5:5-6

Make sure and go to church this week and see if you can put some of these into practice. God will be glorified, and unbelievers will have one less reason to criticize the church.

Loving one another,

Roger